The New Dimension of Decent Work in the Digital Age: The Employee's Right to Be Disconnect

Abstract

The employee's right to disconnect, considered a fundamental dimension of decent work, is becoming increasingly important in today's conditions where digitalization has blurred the boundaries of work life. This study aims to discuss the right to disconnect within the framework of decent work and from an industrial social work perspective, drawing on the International Labour Organization's human dignity-centered approach. To this end, national and international academic literature alongside legal regulations in various countries were systematically reviewed. The findings indicate that the expectation of constant accessibility outside working hours — via email, phone calls, or applications — negatively affects employees' bio-psycho-social health, disrupts work-family life balance, and increases risks such as burnout and cognitive overload. Comparative country analyses reveal that many European countries, most notably France, have established legal guarantees for this right, whereas Turkey's existing labor legislation lacks an explicit provision in this regard. Industrial social work, as one of the disciplines that translates the goal of decent work from policy into practice, can play an active role in protecting this right through advocacy, counseling, and organizational intervention tools.

Keywords

• right to unreachable
• right to disconnect
• decent work
• working life
• social work

Dijital Çağda İnsana Yakışır İşin Yeni Boyutu: Çalışanın Ulaşılamama Hakkı

Abstract

İnsana yakışır iş kavramının temel bir boyutu olarak çalışanın ulaşılamama hakkı, dijitalleşmenin iş yaşamının sınırlarını belirsizleştirdiği günümüz koşullarında giderek önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, Uluslararası Çalışma Örgütü'nün insan onuru odaklı yaklaşımından hareketle ulaşılamama hakkını insana yakışır iş ve endüstriyel sosyal hizmet perspektifinden tartışmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu doğrultuda ulusal ve uluslararası akademik literatür ile çeşitli ülkelerdeki yasal düzenlemeler sistematik biçimde incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular; mesai saatleri dışında e-posta, arama ya da uygulamalar aracılığı ile sürekli erişilebilir olma beklentisinin çalışanların biyo-psiko-sosyal sağlığını olumsuz etkilediğini, iş-aile yaşam dengesini bozduğunu ve tükenmişlik ile bilişsel taşma gibi riskleri artırdığını ortaya koymaktadır. Karşılaştırmalı ülke incelemeleri, Fransa başta olmak üzere pek çok Avrupa ülkesinin bu hakkı yasal güvenceye kavuşturduğunu; Türkiye'nin ise mevcut iş mevzuatında açık bir düzenleme içermediğini göstermektedir. İnsana yakışır iş hedefini politikadan uygulamaya taşıyan disiplinlerden biri olan endüstriyel sosyal hizmet, savunuculuk, danışmanlık ve örgütsel müdahale araçları ile bu hakkın korunmasında etkin bir rol üstlenebilir.

Keywords

• ulaşılamama hakkı
• bağlantıyı kesme hakkı
• insana yakışır iş
• çalışma yaşamı
• sosyal hizmet

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